DOCTOR WHO

"I was dead too long this time. The anaesthetic almost destroyed the regenerative process."

(The Eighth Doctor)

Filmed on location in Vancouver, using some of the same exteriors as The X-Files, Doctor Who's return to the screen after a seven year absence was a media event, with saturation coverage on tv, in newspapers, and weekly and monthly publications. Especially welcome was the response from the Radio Times, which featured the new Doctor on the front cover, gave the show pride of place in the Editor's column, and included a sixteen page pull-out special looking back and forwards over the years of the programme. The following week they began a sci-fi page, half of which was taken up by a brand new full-colour Doctor Who comic strip (which was, of course, cancelled as soon as the incumbent editor moved on and was replaced).

Although first screened in the UK on 27th May, the stylish and darkly atmospheric film received its first mass screening in the United States, in the Fox Network's Tuesday Movie slot on 16th May, and was released onto video in the UK a week later, amid some confusion over its certificate. Thus, many people had already seen it when the slightly edited version was shown by the BBC, and this probably helped to dilute the viewing figures. Audience reaction in the US was "lukewarm", however, with the programme screening against stiff opposition. In Britain it scored a very respectable rating of just over nine million, but was still viewed rather dimly by certain elements at the BBC, as always.

Created by: Sydney Newman
Original Theme: Ron Grainer

Seasons One to Twenty-Six: 696 episodes (25-minute equivalent unless stated)
First screened: 23rd November 1963 - 1989
 

black and white (Seasons 1-6)
colour (from Season 7)
 

A BBC Production
 

The Eighth Doctor: PAUL McGANN
(1996-2005)

REGULAR CAST

The Doctor Paul McGann

Executive Producers: Alex Beaton and
  Philip David Segal
Executive Producer for the BBC: Jo Wright
Producer: Peter V Ware
Co-Producer: Matthew Jacobs
Revised Theme: John Debney
Additional Music: John Sponsler and
  Louis Serbe

1 85-minute feature episode

27th May 1996

A Universal/BBC Worldwide Production for
20th Century Fox and the BBC

(BBC1)

TV Movie

Doctor Who

w Matthew Jacobs
On New Year's Eve 1999 a British Police Box materialises in San Francisco's China Town, and the Doctor is cut down in a gang-fight crossfire. Shortly afterwards, at the hospital, a recently-deceased patient's body goes missing, and Doctor Grace Holloway, who had tried to save his life, finds herself embroiled in a desperate attempt to prevent the Master destroying the world before the start of the new millennium.

The Doctor Paul McGann
The Master Eric Roberts
The Doctor Sylvester McCoy
Doctor Grace Holloway Daphne Ashbrook
Chang Lee Yee Jee Tso
Salinger John Novak
Doctor Swift Michael David Simms
The Old Master Gordon Tipple
Curtis Dolores Drake
Wheeler Catherine Lough
Miranda Eliza Roberts
Pete William Sasso
Ted Joel Wirkkunen
News Anchor Mi-Jung Lee
News Co-Anchor Joanna Piros
Motorcycle Policeman Bill Croft
Security Guard Dee Jay Jackson
Professor Wagg Dave Hurtubise
Gareth Jeremy Radick

Director: Geoffrey Sax
Designer: Richard Hudolin

It was another seven years before any further progress was made, with the BBC always apparently blocking any new productions. Then, on Friday 26th September 2003 a small feature article appeared in a UK local news programme, Newsroom SouthEast for Kent and Sussex. Fan, writer and director Russell T Davies, of Dark Season fame, was to make a new series of Doctor Who for a 2005 transmission date. Doctor Who fandom held its breath.

Slowly details began to emerge. As well as being the main executive producer for the new-look series, Russell T Davies would also write the majority of the episodes. The new Doctor was to be Christopher Eccleston, a deep-browed Mancunian with a long and impressive list of credits behind him (including Rachel's Dream, Inspector Morse, and Cracker), and his new assistant was to be nineteen year-old Rose Tyler, sexy and feisty and marvellous (played by Billie Piper, one-time teenage pop star and wife of would-be radio star Chris Evans).

The sonic screwdriver would remain, and there would be some two-parters, so the classic cliffhanger would survive. Although the series was a brand new production based well away from its former London base, and episode and season numbers were starting from scratch, the series was definitely a continuation and not a re-start, with a deadly old enemy returning in the first season. The series was broadcast in its traditional home as part of the Saturday night schedule, but at the bigger and better time slot of 7.00pm.

The Ninth Doctor: CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON
(2005)

REGULAR CAST

The Doctor Christopher Eccleston
Rose Tyler Billie Piper

Executive Producers: Russell T Davies,
  Mal Young and Julie Gardner
Producer: Phil Collinson
Production Designer: Edward Thomas
Script Editors: Elwen Rowlands
  and Helen Raynor
Production Designer: Edward Thomas
Concept Designer: Bryan Hitch
Costume Designer: Lucinda Wright
Visual Effects Supervisor: David Houghton
Original Theme: Ron Grainer
Additional Music: Murray Gold

Season One (27): 13 Episodes
28th March - 18th June 2005

A BBC Wales Production
13 colour episodes, each 45-minutes
(BBC1)

Season One (Twenty-Seven)

Episode 1 - Rose

w Russell T Davies
When Rose Tyler meets a mysterious stranger called the Doctor, life will never be the same again. Soon, she realises that her mother, her boyfriend, and the whole of Planet Earth are in danger. The Doctor, recently recovered from his regeneration, is hunting Autons in London to explosive effect, but it takes Rose's help to save the day as the Nestene Consciousness takes control of not only London's shop window dummies, but all plastics.

The Doctor (intro) Christopher Eccleston
Rose Tyler (intro) Billie Piper
Jackie Tyler (Rose's mother) Camille Coduri
Clive Mark Benton
Mickey Smith (Rose's boyfriend) Noel Clarke
Caroline Finch Ellie Garnett
Caroline's Son Adam McCoy
Autons Alan Ruscoe, Paul Kasey
  David Sant, Elizabeth Fost and Helen Otway
Nestene Voice Nicholas Briggs

Director: Keith Boak

Episode 2 - The End of the World

w Russell T Davies
To prove the time travelling ability of the TARDIS, the Doctor takes Rose to the end of the world: Earth's death 5.5 billion years into the future. The galaxy's great and the good assemble to watch the show, and Rose gets a crash course in how to meet aliens, even though they all seem to be descendants of Earth-born flora and fauna. The last remaining "human," Cassandra, is anything but human, and the enormous cost of her upkeep drives her to sabotage the viewing station.

Jabe Yasmin Bannerman
Steward Simon Day
Moxx of Balhoon Jimmy Vee
Cassandra Zoë Wanamaker
Jackie Tyler Camille Coduri
Raffalo Beccy Armory
Computer Voice Sara Stewart
Alien Voices Silas Carson

Director: Euros Lyn

Episode 3 - The Unquiet Dead

w Mark Gatiss
The Doctor takes Rose back through time to 1869. But in Victorian Cardiff, the dead are walking, and a world-weary Charles Dickens becomes involved in the battle against the ethereal Gelth, who are themselves a casualty of the war which destroyed the Time Lords and Gallifrey.

Charles Dickens Simon Callow
Redpath Huw Rhys
Gabriel Sneed Alan David
Mrs Peace Jennifer Hill
Gwyneth Eve Myles
Stage Manager Wayne Cater
Driver Meic Povey
The Gelth Zoe Thorne

Director: Euros Lyn

Episode 4 - Aliens of London (Part 1 of 2)

w Russell T Davies
The Doctor takes Rose home, and gets a thick ear from her mother for keeping her "missing" for a year. But when a spaceship crash-lands in the Thames, London is closed off, and the whole world goes on Red Alert. While the Doctor investigates the alien survivor, Rose discovers that her home is no longer a safe haven. The United Kingdom's government is in disarray with all the top ministers missing, and it appears the shifty Slitheen are now in charge.

Harriet Jones Penelope Wilton
Margaret Blaine Annette Badland
Jackie Tyler Camille Coduri
Mickey Smith Noel Clarke
Indra Ganesh Navin Chowdry
Doctor Sato Naoko Mori
General Asquith Rupert Vansittart
Joe Green  David Verrey
Oliver Charles Eric Potts
Assistant Commissioner Strickland Steven Spiers
Sergeant Price Morgan Hopkins
Old Woman Fiesta Mei Ling
Old Man Basil Chung
Reporters Lachele Carl and Jack Tarlton
Himself Andrew Marr

Director: Keith Boak

Episode 5 - World War Three (Part 2 of 2)

w Russell T Davies
With the Doctor, Rose and Harriet Jones trapped inside Downing Street, the world edges towards mankind's first Interplanetary War. But the Doctor still has a few tricks up his sleeve, and once Mickey has saved Jackie Tyler from death at the hands of the Slitheen, they can both help by hacking into UNIT's resources.

(Cast as before)

Director: Keith Boak

Episode 6 - Dalek

w Robert Shearman
Beneath the Salt Plains of Utah, the billionaire collector Henry Van Statten holds the last relic of an alien race. It turns out to be one of the Doctor's oldest and most deadly enemies, one which the Doctor claims had perished in the great Time War between the Daleks and the Time Lords. The Dalek is fully reactivated once Rose mistakenly helps it. Showing what a real Dalek warrior can do, it quickly decimates the security staff, and threatens to continue its programming - to enslave or exterminate all non-Dalek life. And Rose is its prisoner. (Anna-Louise Plowman played Osiris in Stargate SG-1 from Season 4 onwards.)

Adam Mitchell Bruno Langley
Polkowski Steven Beckingham
Henry Van Statten Corey Johnson
Goddard Anna-Louise Plowman
Simmons Nigel Whitmey
Bywater John Schwab
De Maggio Jana Carpenter
Commander Joe Montana
Dalek Operator Barnaby Edwards
Dalek Voice Nicholas Briggs

Director: Joe Ahearne

Episode 7 - The Long Game

w Russell T Davies
Adam discovers the wonders of travelling in the TARDIS. In the far future, Satellite 5 broadcasts to the entire Earth Empire. But anyone promoted to Floor 500 is never seen again, and the Doctor suspects mankind has been manipulated for the past century. As Rose and the Doctor go in search of answers, Adam does his own thing, and proves that he doesn't have what it takes to become the Time Lord's companion.

Adam Mitchell Bruno Langley
Grimy Man Colin Prockter
Cathica Christine Adams
Suki Anna Maxwell-Martin
The Editor Simon Pegg
Nurse Tamsin Greig
Adam's Mum Judy Holt

Director: Brian Grant

Episode 8 - Father's Day

w Paul Cornell
Rose persuades the Doctor to take her back to 1987, so that she can witness the day her father died. But when she interferes in the course of events, the monstrous Reapers are unleashed upon the world, and a wedding day turns into a massacre. Even the Doctor is powerless, as the Human Race is devoured...

Jackie Tyler Camille Coduri
Pete Tyler Shaun Dingwall
Registrar Robert Barton
Young Rose Julia Joyce
Stuart Christopher Llewellyn
Sonny Frank Rozelaar-Green
Sarah Natalie Jones
Bev Eirlys Bellin
Suzie Rhian James
Young Mickey Casey Dyer

Director: Joe Ahearne

Episode 9- The Empty Child (Part 1 of 2)

w Steven Moffatt
The Doctor and Rose track an alien cylinder through the Vortex to London, 1941, at the height of the Blitz. Arriving perhaps a month after the cylinder, they find it is being guarded by the army, while homeless children, living on the bomb sites, are being terrorised by an unearthly child. A mysterious plague is striking down Londoners and turning them into living replicas of the child.

Doctor Constantine Richard Wilson
Nancy Florence Hoath
"Captain" Jack Harkness John Barrowman
Timothy Lloyd Luke Perry
The Child Albert Valentine
Mrs Lloyd Cheryl Fergison
Mr Lloyd Damian Samuels
Algy Robert Hands
Jim Joseph Tremain
Ernie Jordan Murphy
Jenkins Martin Hodgson
Mrs Harcourt Vilma Hollingbery
The Child's Voice Noah Johnson
Computer Voice Dian Perry

Director: James Hawes

Episode 10 - The Doctor Dances (Part 2 of 2)

w Steven Moffatt
The plague is spreading through London, but one girl knows more than she's telling. More about the night she went out scavenging for food and her younger brother followed her. Captain Jack, apparently freed from having to worry about his immediate career as an intergalactic con-man, now throws his lot in with the Doctor, but, as time runs out, can he be entirely trusted?

(Cast as before)

Director: James Hawes

Episode 11 - Boom Town

w Russell T Davies
The TARDIS crew take a holiday, but the Doctor encounters an enemy he thought he'd dealt with in Aliens of London. A plan to build a nuclear power station in Cardiff City disguises an alien plot to rip the world apart using the rift which the Doctor thought capped in The Unquiet Dead. And when the Doctor dines with monsters, he discovers traps within traps. What is Bad Wolf? And why does it seem to be following the Doctor around?

Jack Harkness John Barrowman
Mickey Smith Noel Clarke
Margaret Blaine Annette Badland
Mr Cleaver William Thomas
Cathy Salt Mali Harries
Idris Hopper Aled Pedrick
Margaret Slitheen Alan Ruscoe

Director: Joe Ahearne

Episode 12 - Bad Wolf (Part 1 of 2)

w Russell T Davies
The Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack have to fight for their lives on board the Game Station. But a far more dangerous threat is lurking, just out of sight. The Doctor realises that the entire Human Race has been blinded to the threat on its doorstep. Something else was behind Station 5 and its media control of the Earth Empire, and when the Doctor tidied up he left the way clear for a century of even worse subjugation of Humanity. Now he discovers that Armageddon is fast approaching.

Jack Harkness John Barrowman
Lynda Jo Joyner
Strood Jamie Bradley
Crosbie Abi Eniola
Rodrick Paterson Joseph
Floor Manager Jenna Russell
Male Programmer Jo Stone-Fewings
Female Programmer Nisha Nayar
Agorax Dominic Burgess
Fitch Karren Winchester
Colleen Kate Loustau
Broff Sebastian Armesto
Controller Martha Cope
Security Guard Sam Callis
Voice Of Anne Droid Anne Robinson
Voice Of Davinadroid Davina Mccall
Voice Of Trine-E Trinny Woodall
Voice Of Zu-Zana Susannah Constantine
Androids Alan Ruscoe and Paul Kasey
Dalek Operators Barnaby Edwards, Nicholas Pegg and David Hankinson
Dalek Voice Nicholas Briggs

Director: Joe Ahearne

Episode 13 - The Parting of the Ways (Part 2 of 2)

w Russell T Davies
The Daleks return. Lots of them! Rose Tyler has seen danger and wonders alongside the Doctor, but now their friendship is put to the test as Earth is plunged into chaos amid scenes of mass destruction. With the Human Race being slaughtered, both on Earth and on Station 5, the Doctor is forced to take terrible action. Rose is tricked into being taken to safety while the Doctor prepares to confront his arch enemies. But the confrontation does not go as planned, and Rose's unexpected return changes everything...

The Doctor (intro) David Tennant
Jackie Tyler Camille Coduri
Mickey Smith Noel Clarke
(Rest of cast as before)

Director: Joe Ahearne

Afraid of being typecast and apparently unaware that it was already too late, Christopher Eccleston announced that he would not be continuing in the role of the Doctor. He made the announcement just days after the first episode of his first season had been screened to an audience of over 8 million people and a good reception, and viewers were disappointed with his abandonment of the role after such a short period. The search for a new Doctor began, but it wasn't a long search. Front-runner David Tennant was announced as the tenth Doctor on Saturday 16th April 2005, with a regeneration hurriedly scripted into the final episode of Season 27.

The first series was so well received that even before it had ended, not only had the 2005 Christmas Special and the 2006 series been confirmed, but a Christmas 2006 special and a third season in 2007 were also confirmed. Doctor Who was back, and this time it was better than ever.

The Tenth Doctor: DAVID TENNANT
(2005 - ?)

REGULAR CAST

The Doctor David Tennant
Rose Tyler Billie Piper (Season 28)

Executive Producers: Russell T Davies,
  Mal Young and Julie Gardner
Producer: Phil Collinson
Production Designer: Edward Thomas
Script Editors: Elwen Rowlands
  and Helen Raynor
Production Designer: Edward Thomas
Concept Designer: Bryan Hitch
Costume Designer: Lucinda Wright
Visual Effects Supervisor: David Houghton
Original Theme: Ron Grainer
Additional Music: Murray Gold

Christmas Special 1: 1 Episode
Scheduled for Christmas 2005
Season Two (28): 13 Episodes
Scheduled for 2006 transmission
Christmas Special 2: 1 Episode
Scheduled for Christmas 2006
Season Three (29): 13 Episodes
Scheduled for 2007 transmission

A BBC Wales Production
28 colour 45-minute episodes, excluding Christmas Specials, 60-minutes
(BBC1)

Christmas Special

The Christmas Invasion

w Unknown
The alien Sycorax threatens Earth.

Harriet Jones Penelope Wilton

Director: Unknown

Season Two (Twenty-Eight)

Episode 1

w Unknown
No story details.

Cast Unknown

Director: Unknown

Season features: The Cybermen return, as does former companion Sarah Jane Smith. The Doctor meets Queen Victoria and an evil race of cat women.
Season guests: Anthony Head, Elisabeth Sladen, Adam Garcia.
Season writers: Stephen Fry, Russell T Davies, Mark Gattis, Tom Macrae

Recommended Sites: Official BBC Site, Doctor Who Companions, Pure Nicola Bryant

All details are trademarked and copyrighted by their respective producers. All character and location names are also copyright. No infringement of any copyright is intended.
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